The Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has directed workers and willing citizens to boycott the services of major telecommunications companies—MTN, Airtel, and Glo—beginning at 11:00 AM on Thursday, February 13, 2025. This action is in response to the recent tariff hikes implemented by these telecom giants.
The directive was announced in a statement issued on Wednesday by NLC President Joe Ajaero and NLC Secretary Emmanuel Ugboaja. The NLC demanded an immediate reversal of the tariff hike, insisting that the companies revert to the previous rates until further deliberations and agreements are reached.
The statement read:
“The CWC demands an immediate reversal of the tariff hike, which took effect today, and insists that the companies revert to the previous tariff until the committee completes its deliberations and reaches a conclusive agreement. As a first step in resisting this arbitrary tariff hike, the CWC has directed that beginning Thursday, February 13, 2025, Nigerian workers and other willing citizens shall boycott the services of MTN, Airtel, and Glo daily between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM until the end of February 2025.”
The NLC also criticized the government for failing to protect citizens from corporate exploitation and reviewed the proposed Tax Reform Bills, warning against policies that could further burden Nigerian workers. While acknowledging the need for fiscal reforms, the Congress vowed to advocate for fair and worker-friendly tax policies.
The NLC issued a stern warning that if the tariff hike is not reversed by February 29, 2025, a nationwide telecom shutdown will commence on March 1, 2025. The Congress called on civil society organizations and all Nigerians to join the protest against exploitative economic policies.
This move by the NLC highlights growing discontent over rising costs of services and the perceived failure of regulatory bodies to safeguard the interests of ordinary citizens.
